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According to Portman, the legislation would give ex-offenders an opportunity to turn their lives around through recovery programs, job training and more.

“For a lot of people who end up in the criminal justice system who are addicts, they end up getting out of the system with no help. They go back to their community. There is recidivism in terms of getting back into the addiction problem, and then they end up back in the system again. And this is helpful to break that cycle,” Portman said.

Last year, Portman introduced an act to expand diversion and alternative programs for drug offenders.